CCH using robotic technology for hip, knee procedures

Doctors at Central Carolina Hospital now have a more sophisticated, less invasive, way of performing some knee and hip surgeries, according to a news release from the facility.

The hospital is the first in the Sandhills region to offer MAKOplasty partial knee resurfacing and MAKOplasty total hip replacement procedures, performed using the RIO® Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System marketed by MAKO Surgical Corp. RIO is a surgeon-controlled robotic arm system that enables accurate alignment and placement of implants.

The release notes that CCH is one of eight hospitals in North Carolina that offer this technology.

“Accuracy is key in planning and performing both partial knee and total hip procedures,” Dr. Andrew Bush, an orthopedic surgeon on staff at the hospital, said in the release. “For a good outcome, you need to align and position the implants just right. RIO enables surgeons to personalize partial knee and total hip arthroplasties to achieve optimal results at a level of accuracy and reproducibility previously unattainable with conventional instrumentation.”

The RIO system features a visualization system and robotic arm technology that is integrated with intelligent surgical instruments. It assists surgeons in pre-planning and in treating each patient uniquely and consistently.

MAKOplasty partial knee resurfacing is a treatment option for adults living with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis that has not yet progressed to all three compartments of the knee. It is less invasive than traditional total knee surgery. A pre-surgical plan is created based on a CT scan of the patient's knee, and the surgeon uses the robotic arm during surgery to resurface the diseased portion of the knee, sparing healthy bone and surrounding tissue for a more natural-feeling knee. An implant is then secured in the joint to allow the knee to move smoothly again.

During MAKOplasty total hip replacement surgery, RIO provides visualization of the joint and biomechanical data to guide the bone preparation and implant positioning. After first preparing the femur or thighbone, the surgeon uses the robotic arm to accurately ream and shape the socket in the hip, and then implant the cup at the correct depth and orientation. The surgeon then implants the femoral implant.

”We are proud to be the first to use this innovative technology in the Sandhills,” Doug Doris, CEO of Central Carolina Hospital, said in the release. “It is part of our commitment to provide our community with the best possible health care.”

Central Carolina Hospital will host a “Meet the RIO” open house for the community on Feb. 7 at 4 p.m. For more information about MAKOplasty or the open house, please call 1-855-44-J-O-I-N-T.